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Eating Right and Exercising

Tuesday, July 17, 2012

Hi everyone!

Thanks for all the love and concern - my mummy's recovering well at the moment and she has been discharged this afternoon. I'm trying to write abit more before I get busy but this is rather impromptu and actually totally overdue. I've been trying to do up a small post about my health and exercise regimen so I hope u like it.

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To begin with, Im 1.58m (5Ft2) and about 51 kg.

This is by no means model-like but I would think Im of healthy weight and could even afford to lose a couple more pounds coz Im relatively short even for local standards.

To calculate your BMI

For example using my weight and height -

51 kg / (1.58 x 1.58) = 20.4

So this means my BMI is 20.4 (Healthy)

This is the list of BMI range.

Underweight : <= 18.5

Normal weight : 18.5 - 24.9

Overweight : 25 - 29.9

Obese : >= 30

First Step :

Define your goal.

Do you want to lose some weight?

Or do you want to become more toned?

Are you looking to increase your fitness level?

Then there are the rare few who are genetically slim and want to improve their overall stamina and look healthy. You first need to sit down and write down what you want to achieve.

Set Specific Goals :

Step by Step Achievable Results

There is nothing wrong in writing things like ,"I want to be a size XS" or "I need to lose 10kg"

But perhaps lets start small and simple by writing down ,"Jogging 3x a week" or "Reducing Carb intake 2x a day".

All these are easy day-to-day lifestyle changes that you can make.

Start Immediately :

DO IT NOW!

To achieve anything in life, we have to get moving ... NOW!

We cant simply start building sandcastles in the air and pray that The Secret will work although positive thinking will always help in any case.

When I was getting 'Wah why now you so fat' comments last year after my wedding I decided to sign up for something that I have always wanted to do but kept on procrastinating - Hot Yoga.

I tried it once and never looked back since.

Exercise :

Get your butt off the couch

Im not going to sugarcoat anything and throw pixxie dust in the air and say you are going to lose weight magically without exercise.

Exercise has all the benefits for example - It improves metabolism (and we all know that helps in losing the pounds), increases stamina (so you dun feel like you're 50 walking up a flight of steps), clears skin up (sweating is a natural glow, baby) and I can go on forever how exercise naturally releases endorphins that make you happy without the calories of a chocolate bar.

The hardest part is the START.

But get past the aching muscles and missing a TV program or two - and you are on your way to a new healthier you!

Control Your Cravings :

Curb your Appetite

Ask any doctor how to lose weight naturally and its most likely you will get a good-natured "Eat less!" after "Exercise!"

What you dun put in your mouth will help .. but I dun advocate dangerous binge dieting becoz you will put on all the weight once you go back to your normal eating habits.

Even if it takes longer for you to lose the weight off - Healthy eating habits will help you to stop or slow down weight-gain.

For a lifetime.

Tips on Healthy Eating

Lose weight without counting calories

While it is not advisable to count calories
(Who can do it forever? Everyday?)

After consciously trying to eat healthy and organic food I started reading how scary fast food can be. Although I indulge occasionally in KFC or burgers once in a blue moon, - the amount of trans-fat and salt in a single Happy Meal makes me very worried. Im not saying you should give it up for the rest of your life but try to make an effort to eat something else instead of calling the fastfood hotline for a quick fix.

Even a homemade sandwich or something from the hawker centre eg fishball noodles is so much better!

If it comes out of a Packet, Cut it out of your Life.

Im referring to any canned, tinned or in boxes. I dun even eat cookies or biscuits from supermarkets anymore. If I have a sweet craving I have a slice of good quality cake from a cafe or a brownie with ice-cream! Its not healthy, but I savor every bite and dun crave it after. Ditto goes for good quality chocolates! Try a praline or two instead of the whole chocolate bar.

I also know its not easy especially when you juggle work and cooking but try to use fresh ingredients in your food. Microwaved dinners and instant noodles are only ok once in awhile and definitely not recommended to eat every week.

Moderate Alcoholic Drinks

Perhaps one of the hardest thing to do if you frequently fancy a drink or two (Like me) I used to down beer or whiskey with pokka green tea every weekend while out partying but as I got older and much more health-conscious... I realise I dun drink as often as I used to.
Admittedly age was a big factor! I get sleepy by midnight now LOL.
Alcohol is also known as an 'empty calorie' and you usually make bad supper choices after a round of drinks! So while alcohol might not make u fat, it might sabotage your diet plans. To avoid over-drinking try having a glass of water for every alcoholic drink you are having.
Here's a list of common drinks and their calories :

Reduce Carbo Intake

Traditionalists will tell you that carbohydrates should be at the bottom of any food chain but the starch that we often eat are usually bleached (hence the white in white rice) and it spikes our sugar levels which leaves you either feeling very full or sleepy. Then hungry after your body chemistry adjusts to it. This dip cause your body to tell you,"Get me more sugar! I need to eat NOW!" and its both unhealthy and becoz its essentially false hunger pangs that results in blood sugar dips.

Common culprits include white rice, pasta, white flour and sugar.

Here's a great guide that I personally use :

Try going to your local supermarket Organic section to stock on whole-grains like Brown Rice, or Wholemeal Bread, Oats. It might taste weird or difficult to swallow at first but once you get accustomed to it you will actually like it :)Additionally ....

I eat alot of plain yogurt too and I put blueberries for its natural sweetness and antioxidant benefits.
Sometimes I eat Special K (cereal) with low-fat milk if Im rushing for time but cereal is not too good to have too often coz its ultimately processed food and Im trying to cut it down. I also try to skip oily breakfasts like bee hoon or fried stuff in the morning and opt for porridge if I have the choice. You can try Oats with low-fat milk for a quick and healthy breakfast or wholemeal bread with alittle butter. Skip the kaya or peanut butter. (Occasionally is fine though)
I dun take cheese as often as I do already and the only time I do is if Im having Italian that day.
If you dine out often try having Japanese instead but skip all the fried food and have sashimi or some sushi instead of a bowl of garlic fried rice.
Try to remove sugar in your coffee & tea (I take mine with some milk no sugar) and if possible drink Green Tea or Rooibos tea instead. If you are caffeine intolerant, Chamomile and Peppermint are my personal favourites.

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Hope you enjoyed this post and I'll try to post more soon!

Take care and healthy eating and lifestyle to everyone here

Back soon.

xoxoxo

I'll also try to touch on my daily hair & makeup routine so if you have any questions or interest on my hair or cosmetic products - Please leave me a comment and tag here so I can emphasize on them when I write my post in future. Thks! :DDisclaimer:Please seek the advise of a professional before embarking on any dietary or exercise regimen.